Siddhachalam NJ 1990 04 Mahavir Jayanti

Author(s): Siddhachalam NJ
Publisher: USA International Mahavir Jain Mission Siddhachalam

Page 33

awareness dawned awareness of belong- priority was to exceed the power of that ening to one's own country. Their own worth emy. In their minds, while planning strat
TEN EVILS as Americans became a matter of pride. egy and deciding bases, the bosses in charge
All acts of living creatures That year was crucial for making career had already annihilated the enemy many become bad by ten things, choices. He got admission in the military times over and over. The nation continued and by avoiding the ten academy. The fate decided without as rallying alllies, buying new ones. The things they become good. much as the toss of a coin. His mother sug- number of death due to murders and dis
There are three evils of the gested that he might consider being a doc- eases increased. Meanwhile the nation bady, four evils of the tor or an engineer in the services. He went went willingly through an era of forced tongwe, and three evils of the way of his friends marines. During the scarcity of essential services. The country the mind. next two years, he briefty visited his home. used Einsteins' discoveries for deadly purWhile enjoying home-cooked meals he poses. It found no time to use his wisdom!
The evils of the body are, talked enthusiastically about the life and The senior citizens sat on the park benches, murder, theft and adultery; the prospect of adventures. There was read newspapers, lauded the country bully
of the tongue, lying, slander, youthful arrogance and derision about the ing smaller nations, and sipped delightfully abuse and idle talk; of the enemies. He filled his mother about the two the cups of glory of the superpower. Those
mind, covetousness, hatred camps the world was divided in the allies who knew what proportion of their hard
and error. and the ememies. The third neutral camp earned money was directed into overful was belittled. The choice of being non warehouses of assorted weapons had no
-Lord Buddha aligned and believing in peaceful coexis- power to influence political decisions they tence was not discussed. The stance of vio- were masses described by Shakespeare and lence, and hostilities of cold war suited the dragged by Hegelian inexorable forces animals, they want only to kill men. big business and it convinced its younger beyond their control.....
His last letter reached his mother sister politics into believing to spend for the
In the fifth year of his service, after his funeral, postal missorting and mis preparedness. His mother knew the mo- Tom fell sick. He was in the Veteran hospi- directing. He handwriting was uneven and tives and morals behind policies and deci- tal for over a month. Mom visited him a few the structure of the letter loose and casual. sions. Tom was too young. National psy- times. During one of her visits she learned che evolved from the facts presented and the truth. His sickness rapidly emaciated Mom Dear, interpreted in the historybooks. Tom was a him. The dream of being useful to the coun
I don't know how far I am from product of that education. Majority opin- try faded away. Ambition to be famous in the abyss or how far are you from the ion of the nation grew out of media view re- the war and the opportunity to prove brav. explosion. I do know that these are accused flecting the views of big business. Media is ery all were not to be. The tumor was groups of communities fogging and mistin fact, big business.
provnn malignant and the end approached ing the helpless people all over the tiny After he became a commissioned
planet. Greed is a catching epidemic. Lust officer, he moved from station to station,
Tom wrote a long letter to his for power is a tornedo. All others you and traveled to unspecified places but was not mother. The bitterness of his dying words me inclusive are but straws from the hay sent to any front, not even to the minor skir- had a resonance of a prophecy. The acrid- pile. Mama, dear, I am better of moving mishes with the neighbors.
ness of that foreboding touched Madhavis" towards the end for you have now no air to "You know how skirmishes be- sense of smell for several years to come, breathe, no food free from poisons and no gin with the countries who do not have Mom, my training and disciplined learning water to drink. If I live to be eighty, all I puppet governments like cuba, Nicaragua, are all futile now. There was no enemy will see is the trend towards the total annifor instance!" During one of his visits Tom abroad to be afraid of. It was the one within, hilation. That end will not be consequent was discussing enemies of the country," killing me. Tell the neighbors, tell them all. upon the nuclear warfare. No, Mom, naWho is your enemy?" Mom asked, Tom The entire nation should know the deadly tional inadequacies, national secrecy about did not answer. "Where is your enemy?" enemies are within. The germs of killer the onslaught of curse on resources will do "Wrong question, Mom, my enemy is no diseases are within a person. Those affect- it. Has done it. The demon of violence and where and no one is my enemy." "Ok ing national safety are in the social veins. aggression has descended on mankind, has where is our enemies?" Abroad, mostly The germs of violence are breeding on the already taken a heavy toll. Beware of its over there." He pointed in the direction of decay of institutions. Stop the waste on march. I should have told my father! the Atlantic ocean. My son has become a piles and piles of weapons. Mom, you stop .....Never mind loud thinking, never mind diplomat.
them. Let people enjoy what nature has these belated regrets... Take care, bye. Tom was an insignificant actor in given freely for all of us, without discrimi
Your son." the general, national drama of heroic and nation. The vehmence of his feelings and
Madhavi wiped her tears, placed bravado. The defense industry expanded. bitterness were becoming too much for the lettter in the desk drawer and moved The taxes increased. People accepted cuts him Soon Tom died. Many more like him towards the window to draw the curtains. in the welfare services. They no longer would too. The boggy of enemy abroad, The enemies abroad were outside her wincomplained against the growing deficitt or however, would survive, for it has a useful dow!!. the deteriorating crime drug situation. purpose, an economic boon which is made America's number one problem was awe of authentic by constant propaganda of one the enemy in the East andits number one against another. Hunters mercilesssly kill
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